Aston Villa appoint Alex McLeish as new manager

[TheGuv]

[Disco]

Looks ancient as fuck. Must've had the same paper round as BarrackObama.

[Dinho lad]

let's try and sign agbonlahor!

[Kaizero]

In lack of a better place to put it, there's more trouble behind the scenes at Villa:

 

John Carew has hit back at Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier's challenge to the striker to prove he deserves a new contract.

 

The Norway international's current deal at Villa Park expires at the end of the season, and talks over an extension have yet to begin.

 

Houllier intended to give Carew a run of games in the side in a bid to give him a chance to prove his worth, until he was ruled out for around a month with a calf problem.

 

The French coach said: "John is at the end of his contract and it is an opportunity to express what he wants - whether he wants to stay at the club or whether he wants to go somewhere else.

 

"In both cases, I would say he has got to be at his best to put himself in the shop window."

 

Carew has reportedly responded angrily to the comments, claiming that Houllier has demonstrated a lack of respect.

 

VG quote the 31-year-old as saying: "If he wants me to fight for a contract, he should speak to me directly and not through the media.

 

"This is disrespectful to me and to the fans who sing my name week in week out."

 

They've surprisingly left out the bit where he says "Something to prove? Look at the last years, I've done very well all along. There must be a reason the fans chant my name constantly during the games. Who has the most to prove in Aston Villa remains to be seen. He has a lot more to prove than others at this club."

[Neil]

Didn't Villa have a decent start to the season apart from the 6-0? Haven't seen much to alter my prediction of them (relatively) struggling a bit this season and finishing 2 or 3 places below where they finished last year. Of course, time's on their side.

[jdckelly]

Didn't Villa have a decent start to the season apart from the 6-0? Haven't seen much to alter my prediction of them (relatively) struggling a bit this season and finishing 2 or 3 places below where they finished last year. Of course, time's on their side.

they did, the 6-0 and the loss in europe were their only defeats under mcdonald i think, ok the 6-0 was pretty abject but still

[80]

[Kaizero]

Anyone want Carew in Jan then?

 

"Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier turned on Norwegian striker John Carew by labelling the player 'stupid' after their 1-1 draw at Fulham."

 

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=839559&sec=england&cc=5739

[Disco]

Anyone want Carew in Jan then?

 

"Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier turned on Norwegian striker John Carew by labelling the player 'stupid' after their 1-1 draw at Fulham."

 

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=839559&sec=england&cc=5739

 

Aye def. Wages would be too much i'd have thought like.

[Guest Stephen927]

I like Carew, but he's the wrong kind of player for us right now, even on a free. Saying that, it depends on who else is available for nowt, and how much our budget is for January.

[Dokko]

Not a chance. Wrong side of 30, weird lad by all accounts and erratic form.

 

 

[jdckelly]

too similar to what we have tbh, I like carew but with shola and ac9 we don't need another big lad

[Guest gggg]

That's three players he's slagged off in public already the cunt.

[jdckelly]

That's three players he's slagged off in public already the cunt.

he has a point on ireland, ireland has loads of talent but his attitude stinks

[Guest BooBoo]

Ireland really looks like being a one season wonder.

[brummie]

Carew is finished with us, sadly.

 

He's a quality player, but produces only one in every x games. The problem with him is that x increases the longer he's with a club.

 

Houllier, when Lyon manager, swapped him for Milan Baros with us. I don't know what worries me most about that.

[Robster]

Houllier, when Lyon manager, swapped him for Milan Baros with us. I don't know what worries me most about that.

When a villa fan at work told me that, my instant response was to say that Baros would be heading back to Villa Park.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Carew is finished with us, sadly.

 

He's a quality player, but produces only one in every x games. The problem with him is that x increases the longer he's with a club.

 

Houllier, when Lyon manager, swapped him for Milan Baros with us. I don't know what worries me most about that.

 

Viduka

[brummie]

Didn't Villa have a decent start to the season apart from the 6-0? Haven't seen much to alter my prediction of them (relatively) struggling a bit this season and finishing 2 or 3 places below where they finished last year. Of course, time's on their side.

 

We're playing much better football under Houllier than we did under MON for two years.

 

We're also undergoing our worst injury crisis for ages. Currently Delfouneso is our only fit striker. Carew, Heskey, Agbonlahor all out, and even our other promising kid, Weimann, is out long term. Plus Petrov and NRC are now bollocksed.

 

I'm really quite buoyant at the moment though. We're playing some good stuff, we're keeping hold of the ball much better, and we're creating chances if not converting them.

 

Plus, Bannan, Albrighton and Ciaran Clark are all looking excellent for us, so it's interesting times.

[Disco]

Didn't Villa have a decent start to the season apart from the 6-0? Haven't seen much to alter my prediction of them (relatively) struggling a bit this season and finishing 2 or 3 places below where they finished last year. Of course, time's on their side.

 

We're playing much better football under Houllier than we did under MON for two years.

 

We're also undergoing our worst injury crisis for ages. Currently Delfouneso is our only fit striker. Carew, Heskey, Agbonlahor all out, and even our other promising kid, Weimann, is out long term. Plus Petrov and NRC are now bollocksed.

 

I'm really quite buoyant at the moment though. We're playing some good stuff, we're keeping hold of the ball much better, and we're creating chances if not converting them.

 

Plus, Bannan, Albrighton and Ciaran Clark are all looking excellent for us, so it's interesting times.

 

Injury crisis could be a blessing in disguise if the youngsters are getting a chance to shine.

[brummie]

To be honest, Disco, this season was written off the minute MON decided to bail with zero warning five days before the start of the season (which, incidentally, is the same time he normally wakes from his transfer market slumber). There was no way we could look for, find and appoint a manager and get him in place with a load of players he's never met before and have the kind of season we had the last three.

 

One thing I do know is that Albrighton, Bannan and Clark would have been - and were - nowhere near the team under O'Neill.

[Disco]

To be honest, Disco, this season was written off the minute MON decided to bail with zero warning five days before the start of the season (which, incidentally, is the same time he normally wakes from his transfer market slumber). There was no way we could look for, find and appoint a manager and get him in place with a load of players he's never met before and have the kind of season we had the last three.

 

One thing I do know is that Albrighton, Bannan and Clark would have been - and were - nowhere near the team under O'Neill.

 

It is just a shame only one of them is English.

[brummie]

To be honest, Disco, this season was written off the minute MON decided to bail with zero warning five days before the start of the season (which, incidentally, is the same time he normally wakes from his transfer market slumber). There was no way we could look for, find and appoint a manager and get him in place with a load of players he's never met before and have the kind of season we had the last three.

 

One thing I do know is that Albrighton, Bannan and Clark would have been - and were - nowhere near the team under O'Neill.

 

It is just a shame only one of them is English.

 

Clark captained England U20s but has opted for the Irish at full level.

 

Shame. He's very, very promising.

[stozo]

Has left Villa because of his health according to the Birmingham Mail.

[NG32]

WOW he was a mint appointment, to think people wanted this hasbeen at NUFC.